Linux New laptop need drivers updated+Linux

[S2K5150]

Hi,
I haven't been on this forum for many years. Luckily my pword manager & Authy still had the needed login info. You all have helped me greatly in the past & hopefully you can again.

I have a basically new Think Pad L15 20U3 that I got as a gift in 2021. It's only been turned on once or twice. As after Win 7 that I knew so well & lost all support from MS I wanted nothing to do with Windows. This machine came installed with Win 10 Home 64. I'm more computer literate than most, but a newbie with Linux.

1) I obviously don't want to use Windows & want to use Linux (possibly Zorin). I've tried different flavors on a desktop 5-6 years ago but never got acquainted with Linux.

2) I've received over 50 emails from Lenovo about driver updates. Do I install all these updates with Win 10 on the machine or go straight to Linux (whatever flavor) & update all the drivers & req software with Linux installed?

3) I know all Windows versions backwards & forwards up to Windows 7 & after that I know the guts but not all the new 'stuff'.

4) What I don't want to do is update all the divers, BIOS, etc then lose all of those moving to Linux. Obviously I wouldn't lose the BIOS. I also don't know how to update drivers in Linux, unless it's in a 'Windows' environment. I'm a beginner with the Linux command line.

5) I want to install Veracrypt & I've read only certain Linux versions will work. Best Linux version for VC? That's much later though.

I've been putting this off for years so any advice, instructions, best websites to follow would be greatly appreciated.

Thx,

J

 

[S2K5150]

I got to the recovery menu & chose 'drop to root shell prompt'

The command line you gave me I can't tell if spaces are required or not & the comma.
mount -o remount,rw /

I entered it & it shows: root@'my pc name';~#

With a blinking cursor after the #

 

[ChatGPT]

Nice — you’re in the right place. The prompt showing root@your-pc-name:~# means the remount succeeded and you’re at a root shell ready to run commands.
Short answers first

• Yes — spaces matter exactly as shown. The correct remount command is:
  mount -o remount,rw /
  (there is one space after mount, one space after the option, and a comma between remount and rw — no spaces around the comma.)
• Now reset your user password (or create a new admin account). Follow the exact copy/paste commands below.

Step‑by‑step (copy & paste these lines one at a time)
1) Confirm your username(s)

• If you know your username, skip this. Otherwise list home directories:
  ls /home
• Or list system accounts with UID ≥ 1000:
  awk -F: '($3 >= 1000) {print $1}' /etc/passwd

2) Reset the password for your user (replace yourusername)
passwd yourusername

• Enter a new password when prompted, then confirm it. You won’t see characters while you type — that’s normal.

3) (Optional — create a second admin account as a fallback)
adduser backupadmin
usermod -aG sudo backupadmin

• Follow prompts to set the new user’s password and info.

4) Ensure changes flushed to disk and reboot
sync
reboot
After reboot you should be able to log in with the new password.
Troubleshooting (if passwd fails)

• If you get “Authentication token manipulation error” or similar, re-run remount, then try again:
  mount -o remount,rw /
  passwd yourusername
• If you still see problems, paste the exact error text here.

If the desktop login still rejects the new password

• Switch to a TTY (Ctrl+Alt+F3) and try logging there to confirm credentials. If that works, you can restart the display manager (on Zorin it’s usually gdm3 or lightdm):
  sudo systemctl restart gdm3
  

  or if you use LightDM:​

  sudo systemctl restart lightdm

Notes / cautions

• You said you didn’t enable disk/home encryption — good. If you had ecryptfs or LUKS encryption, we would take a different approach to avoid locking encrypted data.
• Don’t edit /etc/shadow manually unless you know exactly what you’re doing.

If you want, run the awk command to show your username(s) and paste it here, then I’ll give the exact passwd command to run. I’ll stay with you through the steps — tell me what you see or paste any error messages.

 

[S2K5150]

Password successfully changed & backupadmin created. Booted twice
New pword let me in. Tried opening the Brave browser & it says

'Authentication Required'
The pword you used to login to your computer no longer matches that of your login keyring'

How do I get the new pword to sync?

 

[ChatGPT]

Great — glad you got back in. That keyring prompt is normal after changing your login password outside the normal PAM flow: your GNOME keyring (the “login” keyring that stores passwords) is still encrypted with the old password, so it won’t automatically unlock with the new login password.
You have two safe options depending on whether you remember the old login password:
Option A — You remember the old password (best)

1. Install or open Seahorse (Passwords and Keys GUI):
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install seahorse
   Then launch “Passwords and Keys” from the menu.
2. Unlock the Login keyring with the old password (you’ll be prompted).
3. Right‑click the “Login” keyring → Change Password. Enter the old password, then set the new password — set it to exactly match your current login password if you want the keyring to unlock automatically at login.
4. Log out and log back in to confirm the keyring unlocks automatically and Brave stops showing the prompt.

Option B — You do NOT remember the old password (you will lose saved keyring secrets)
If you cannot supply the old keyring password, the only simple recovery is to remove the old keyring so the system creates a new one. This deletes the saved passwords stored in the keyring (browser passwords, Wi‑Fi passphrases saved there, etc.). Make a backup first.

1. Backup the keyrings:
   mkdir -p ~/keyring-backup
   cp -a ~/.local/share/keyrings ~/keyring-backup/
2. Remove or move the old keyring(s):
   mv ~/.local/share/keyrings ~/.local/share/keyrings.old
3. Log out and log back in (or reboot). On first use GNOME will create a fresh Login keyring and ask you to set a password. Use the same password as your Linux login if you want automatic unlocking at login.
4. Open Brave and re‑enter any passwords as needed (or restore from Brave Sync if you had that enabled).

Notes & tips

• If you rely on browser password storage, enable Brave Sync (if possible) before removing keyrings — that preserves passwords to the cloud so you can restore them afterward. If you already can’t unlock Brave, check on another device where Brave is signed in to confirm sync status.
• Instead of deleting everything, you can remove just the login keyring file (if present) with:
  mv ~/.local/share/keyrings/login.keyring ~/.local/share/keyrings/login.keyring.bak
  but moving the whole directory is simpler and safe.
• After you’ve created the new keyring, you can re‑use Seahorse to create additional keyrings if you want separate containers for different kinds of secrets.
• If you want, paste the output of:
  ls -la ~/.local/share/keyrings
  and I’ll tell you exactly what files you have and recommend the safest removal/move command.

Which option do you want to try?

• If you remember your old password: follow Option A (I’ll stay with you through the Seahorse steps if you want).
• If you don’t remember it: follow Option B (back up the keyrings first) and I’ll give the exact commands to run and what to expect.

Tell me which path and I’ll give exact one‑line commands and next steps.

 

[S2K5150]

Password successfully changed & backupadmin created. Booted twice
New pword let me in. Tried opening the Brave browser & it says

'Authentication Required'
The pword you used to login to your computer no longer matches that of your login keyring'

How do I get the new pword to sync?

Ignore the non sync post. As I typing you the issue & went back into Zorin the Brave browser opened & have internet access.
Thx for the fix!!

Questions:
1) I don't need to use Veracrypt. I like it because I'm familiar with it. Always make a recovery CD once installed or a password change.

I'm fine with full boot encryption with LUKS. Sounds like it's the best choice for Zorin. Can I encrypt the entire system with LUKS without having to lose all my settings & Apps without a reinstall?

2) As far as Lenovo Vantage can I install that from Zorin's 'software' App or do I need to grab it from Lenovo's website.

3) I want to put iTunes on Zorin & have read that I need Wine software installed for it to work.
Should I download 'Wine' & follow the instructions from the web or do you have a better solution.

 

[S2K5150]

Great — glad you got back in. That keyring prompt is normal after changing your login password outside the normal PAM flow: your GNOME keyring (the “login” keyring that stores passwords) is still encrypted with the old password, so it won’t automatically unlock with the new login password.
You have two safe options depending on whether you remember the old login password:
Option A — You remember the old password (best)

1. Install or open Seahorse (Passwords and Keys GUI):
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install seahorse
   Then launch “Passwords and Keys” from the menu.
2. Unlock the Login keyring with the old password (you’ll be prompted).
3. Right‑click the “Login” keyring → Change Password. Enter the old password, then set the new password — set it to exactly match your current login password if you want the keyring to unlock automatically at login.
4. Log out and log back in to confirm the keyring unlocks automatically and Brave stops showing the prompt.

Option B — You do NOT remember the old password (you will lose saved keyring secrets)
If you cannot supply the old keyring password, the only simple recovery is to remove the old keyring so the system creates a new one. This deletes the saved passwords stored in the keyring (browser passwords, Wi‑Fi passphrases saved there, etc.). Make a backup first.

1. Backup the keyrings:
   mkdir -p ~/keyring-backup
   cp -a ~/.local/share/keyrings ~/keyring-backup/
2. Remove or move the old keyring(s):
   mv ~/.local/share/keyrings ~/.local/share/keyrings.old
3. Log out and log back in (or reboot). On first use GNOME will create a fresh Login keyring and ask you to set a password. Use the same password as your Linux login if you want automatic unlocking at login.
4. Open Brave and re‑enter any passwords as needed (or restore from Brave Sync if you had that enabled).

Notes & tips

• If you rely on browser password storage, enable Brave Sync (if possible) before removing keyrings — that preserves passwords to the cloud so you can restore them afterward. If you already can’t unlock Brave, check on another device where Brave is signed in to confirm sync status.
• Instead of deleting everything, you can remove just the login keyring file (if present) with:
  mv ~/.local/share/keyrings/login.keyring ~/.local/share/keyrings/login.keyring.bak
  but moving the whole directory is simpler and safe.
• After you’ve created the new keyring, you can re‑use Seahorse to create additional keyrings if you want separate containers for different kinds of secrets.
• If you want, paste the output of:
  ls -la ~/.local/share/keyrings
  and I’ll tell you exactly what files you have and recommend the safest removal/move command.

Which option do you want to try?

• If you remember your old password: follow Option A (I’ll stay with you through the Seahorse steps if you want).
• If you don’t remember it: follow Option B (back up the keyrings first) and I’ll give the exact commands to run and what to expect.

Tell me which path and I’ll give exact one‑line commands and next steps.

I only have my Wifi pword saved in the keyring so let's just create a new one.

Is there a way to have Zorin stop asking me for my pword for certain actions? It's very annoying.

What do you mean by starting in the GNOME?

I don't remember the old pworf

 

[ChatGPT]

Good — since you want to create a new keyring (you don’t remember the old password), follow these safe, exact steps. I’ll also explain why the prompts show up and the safe ways to reduce them (without opening security holes).
Important: doing this will delete the saved secrets in the old keyring (Wi‑Fi password, any other stored app passwords). You already said only the Wi‑Fi password was saved — you’ll need to re‑enter it after creating the new keyring (or restore it from your password manager if you saved it there).
Step A — Back up the existing keyring files (one‑liner)
Open Terminal and run:
mkdir -p ~/keyring-backup && cp -a ~/.local/share/keyrings ~/keyring-backup/
Step B — Move the old keyring out of the way (so the system makes a new one)
mv ~/.local/share/keyrings ~/.local/share/keyrings.old
Step C — Log out and back in (or reboot)
Either log out and log back in, or reboot:
reboot
What will happen after Step C

• On first login, GNOME (the desktop environment Zorin uses) will create a fresh “Login” keyring and prompt you to set a password for it.
• When prompted, set that keyring password to exactly match your current login password if you want the keyring to unlock automatically at login (recommended).
• If you prefer not to have an automatic unlock, choose a different password — you’ll have to enter that password the first time an app tries to use the keyring.

Optional: install Seahorse (GUI) to manage keyrings
If you want a GUI for keyrings:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install seahorse
Then run “Passwords and Keys” (Seahorse) from the app menu — it’s useful to view/create/delete keyrings and to change passwords later.
If you want to restore any items from the old keyring backup

• You can inspect the backup (~/keyring-backup) but the files are encrypted with the old password, so you can’t decrypt them without that password.

Why Zorin asked for a password after you changed your login password

• GNOME keyring is encrypted with your old login password. When you change login password outside the normal login flow, the keyring still needs the old password to decrypt. Thus the prompt. Creating a new keyring avoids the prompt (but you lose old saved secrets).

How to reduce/stop password prompts in general (what they are, safe options)

• Two separate systems cause prompts:
  • GNOME keyring / Secret Service (for app secrets like browser saved passwords, Wi‑Fi passwords).
  • PolicyKit (polkit) / sudo prompts for privileged actions (installing packages, system settings).
• Best practice:
  • For keyring prompts: keep the keyring password identical to your login password so it auto‑unlocks at login.
  • For polkit prompts: don’t disable them globally — they protect your system.
• If you still want fewer polkit prompts for very specific actions (advanced + not recommended unless you understand the risk), you can create a polkit local rule that permits certain actions without authentication. Example (risky): allow members of sudo group to manage package installation without prompt. I can show exact policy files if you really want — but I do not recommend blanket removal of authentication prompts.
• Note: some dialog boxes do have “Remember this password” or “Remember for this session” options — use them where offered to reduce repeated prompts without disabling security.

What I meant by “GNOME”

• GNOME is the desktop environment (graphical session) Zorin is built on. When I said “start in GNOME,” I meant the GNOME session/login desktop — not a separate app. Zorin’s interface is GNOME-based. Nothing special to do here.

Quick recap & exact commands to run now (copy/paste)
1) Backup and move old keyring:
mkdir -p ~/keyring-backup && cp -a ~/.local/share/keyrings ~/keyring-backup/
mv ~/.local/share/keyrings ~/.local/share/keyrings.old
2) Reboot:
reboot
3) After login, if you want the GUI tool:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install seahorse
Open “Passwords and Keys” from the menu to manage the new keyring.
After that:

• Set the newly created keyring password to match your login password (so it unlocks automatically).
• Reconnect Wi‑Fi if needed (Network Manager will prompt you for the Wi‑Fi password).

If you want me to:

• Provide a safe polkit example to reduce prompts for a specific action (I’ll include the exact file to create and what it does), or
• Walk you through creating the new keyring via Seahorse step‑by‑step, or
• Check your keyring files now (paste output of ls -la ~/.local/share/keyrings) so I can confirm the move worked,

tell me which and I’ll paste the exact commands / file contents.

 

[S2K5150]

It appears I ran those 2 commands successfully. I rebooted & logged back in. It didn't ask for a new keyring pword. I did have to renter my wireless pword.

Before I go any further if I wan to use LUX full disk encryption do I have to start over with a total new install of Zorin or can I do it from my current Zorin install.

Also is Lenovo Vantage available through 'software' or do I need to download it from the website?

 

[ChatGPT]

Great — thanks for the update and good job on the keyring cleanup. Short answers up front, then practical next steps.
Short answers

• LUKS full‑disk encryption: safest approach is a clean reinstall of Zorin and enable LUKS at install time. Converting an already‑installed root filesystem to LUKS in place is possible for advanced users, but it’s complex and risky — I only recommend it if you’re comfortable with full backups and recovery steps.
• Lenovo Vantage: it is Windows‑only. You won’t find an official Lenovo Vantage app in Zorin’s Software store. On Linux use fwupd (LVFS) for firmware, and tools like TLP / thinkpad_acpi for power and ThinkPad features.

Details & recommended path (step‑by‑step)
1) Recommended (clean, safe) method — reinstall with LUKS
Why: simple, reliable, integrates with initramfs/GRUB automatically, and avoids tricky manual bootloader/header reconfiguration.
Steps:

1. Backup everything (very important)
   • Create a Timeshift snapshot for system files (if already installed):
     sudo apt install timeshift
     sudo timeshift --create --comments "before LUKS reinstall" --tags D
   • Copy /home and any config or dotfiles to an external drive (rsync is good):
     rsync -av --progress /home/youruser /path/to/backup-drive/
   • Save list of installed packages to allow reinstallation later:
     dpkg --get-selections > ~/installed-packages.list
2. Create Zorin installer USB and boot the Live media (Try Zorin to verify hardware).
3. During installation choose “Erase disk and install Zorin” and enable “Encrypt the new Zorin installation” (LUKS) when prompted. Choose a strong passphrase and — importantly — save that passphrase and a LUKS header backup somewhere safe.
   • After install, restore your /home files from backup and reinstall packages (use apt and your saved package list).
4. After first boot, restore settings, reinstall apps, reconfigure Brave, etc.

Notes:

• Make a LUKS header backup right after install:
  sudo cryptsetup luksHeaderBackup /dev/sdXY --header-backup-file /path/to/backup/luks-header.img
  (Replace /dev/sdXY with the LUKS partition — keep that backup offline.)
• If you want an easier rollback during the process, image the current disk (you already have Macrium on Windows) or use Clonezilla before modifying partitions.

2) Advanced (risky) option — convert existing root → LUKS without reinstall
This is doable but nontrivial. High‑level steps (I can walk you through if you want):

• Boot from Live USB
• Create a LUKS container/partition (or LUKS file) on the disk
• Open/mount LUKS, create filesystem, rsync all files from current root to the LUKS target
• Adjust /etc/fstab, /etc/crypttab, rebuild initramfs, update GRUB so the system boots through initramfs which prompts for the LUKS passphrase
• Reboot and test
  Risks: if any step is wrong, the system may not boot — you need a good backup and live USB rescue to recover. I’ll only recommend this route if you prefer not to reinstall and are comfortable with careful step‑by‑step instructions.

3) Alternatives if you don’t want full reinstall

• Encrypt just /home: create a LUKS volume (or VeraCrypt container) for /home and move data there; less invasive but still requires adjusting fstab and (optionally) PAM mount configuration.
• Use VeraCrypt containers for sensitive data (portable and cross‑platform). This is what you indicated you know — it’s a good, low‑risk choice.

4) Lenovo Vantage alternatives on Linux
Lenovo Vantage is Windows‑only. On Linux use:

• fwupd / LVFS — firmware updates for many vendors:
  sudo apt install fwupd
  sudo fwupdmgr refresh
  sudo fwupdmgr get-updates
  sudo fwupdmgr update
• TLP — battery/ power management:
  sudo apt install tlp tlp-rdw
  sudo systemctl enable --now tlp
• thinkpad_acpi (kernel module) exposes ThinkPad features; some extra tools exist (depends on model). For battery thresholds, there are ThinkPad-specific utilities (some community tools can set charge thresholds); tell me if you want thresholds and I’ll check the exact recommended tool for L15.
  These are available from Zorin’s Software or apt (no Lenovo Vantage for Linux).

5) iTunes on Zorin — options

• Wine: iTunes under Wine is unreliable (especially for newer versions and device syncing). Not recommended for full iPhone/iPad management.
• libimobiledevice / ifuse: Allows basic access to iOS devices from Linux and can perform backups (support depends on iOS versions). Install:
  sudo apt install libimobiledevice6 libimobiledevice-utils ifuse usbmuxd
  

  Example pairing:​

  idevicepair pair
  ideviceinfo
  

  mount:​

  mkdir ~/iphone && ifuse ~/iphone
• Windows VM (recommended if you need full iTunes functionality): create a Windows VM in VirtualBox or KVM, install iTunes there and use USB passthrough for device sync/backups — most reliable approach.
• Apple Music web player or using cloud sync for music is an alternative if you only need playback/streaming.

6) Practical checklist for you now

• If you want LUKS: schedule a reinstall, prepare backups (Timeshift + rsync / external), export package list, and make a LUKS header backup after install.
• If you want to defer encryption: continue using VeraCrypt containers for sensitive files (easy and portable).
• For firmware & battery management: install fwupd + tlp now:
  sudo apt update
  sudo apt install fwupd tlp tlp-rdw
  sudo systemctl enable --now tlp
  sudo fwupdmgr refresh && sudo fwupdmgr get-updates && sudo fwupdmgr update

7) I can help step‑by‑step
Tell me which path you prefer:

• “I want a guided reinstall with LUKS” — I’ll give an exact backup checklist and the installer choices, and post‑install restore commands.
• “I want to convert in place” — I’ll outline the full conversion steps and only proceed if you confirm you have a full disk image and are ready for the complexity.
• “I’ll keep Zorin as-is and use VeraCrypt” — I’ll show the exact VeraCrypt create/mount/header backup commands and a recommended workflow.

Which do you want to do next?

 

[S2K5150]

Appreciate the full details & answers.
"I want a guided reinstall with LUKS". No point in continuing adding apps, changing settings, etc, then encrypting.

I see an App that came with Zorin called 'Backup'. Can I use that to backup up my files, Apps, profiles? Then copy that file to a flash drive or external HDD. What file format should I use when formatting a clean flash drive or using an external HDD. I know NTFS is usually not an option.

I installed Timeshift right after I permanently installed Zorin. R-sync. Is that another piece of software to install that syncs my current data/Apps/drivers to a clean install?

I'm going to take a break for the morning & get some sleep. If you could leave me instructions on the backup App. I probably should just log in this site from Brave that way I can copy those complex comments! One wrong space or no space/character etc & it won't execute. Luckily I noticed my mistakes earlier.

That's all for now. Thx for your help again. I'll be back at it tonight or tmrw.
I knew DOS well. The command line in Linux is much more complex .

 

[ChatGPT]

Fantastic — glad you’ve decided to do a clean reinstall with LUKS. Below is a safe, copy‑paste friendly, step‑by‑step plan you can follow when you’re ready. It covers which backups to make, exact commands to run, how to format/prepare your external drive, the reinstall steps, and how to restore afterwards — all focused on preserving your apps/settings and giving you an encrypted root install.
I make no assumptions about filenames or device names, so I include commands to discover the correct device (lsblk). Read each step, run the commands you’re comfortable with, and ask if anything looks odd. Save this post (or copy it into a text file) so you can copy commands exactly.
Quick overview (what we’ll do)
1) Back up important data and lists (home, configs, package lists, browser profiles).
2) Create a live USB for Zorin and verify hardware in “Try Zorin” mode.
3) Reinstall Zorin, choose “Erase disk and install Zorin” and enable “Encrypt the new Zorin installation” (LUKS).
4) After the fresh install: backup LUKS header, restore files and reinstall packages.
5) Test and verify.
A — Prepare your external backup medium

• If you will use the external drive ONLY on Linux (recommended): format it ext4.
• If you need Windows access too: format as exFAT (better than NTFS for Linux write support) or NTFS if you prefer Windows tools. (exFAT is simpler.)
  Commands to format (replace /dev/sdX1 with the actual partition — I’ll show how to find it):
  1) List disks and partitions:
  lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,FSTYPE,LABEL,MOUNTPOINT
  2) If the external is /dev/sdb and you want ext4:
  sudo mkfs.ext4 -L BACKUP /dev/sdb1
  3) If you need exFAT (Windows & Linux):
  sudo apt update
  sudo apt install exfatprogs
  sudo mkfs.exfat -n BACKUP /dev/sdb1
  4) Create a mountpoint and mount:
  sudo mkdir -p /mnt/backup
  sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/backup
  

  check it mounted:​

  df -h /mnt/backup

B — Back up everything you’ll want to restore (copy/paste commands)
Create a backup folder on your external drive and run these (adjust /mnt/backup to your mount point):

1) Create backup folders​

mkdir -p /mnt/backup/zorin-backup
mkdir -p /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/home
mkdir -p /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/config
mkdir -p /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/system-lists

2) Timeshift snapshot (system/state; optional but useful)​

sudo timeshift --create --comments "pre-LUKS reinstall" --tags D

3) Backup your home (rsync preserves permissions)​

sudo rsync -aAXv --progress /home/ /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/home/

4) Backup app configs, browser profiles, SSH keys, and dotfiles​

sudo rsync -aAXv --progress /home/yourusername/.config/ /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/config/.config/
sudo rsync -aAXv --progress /home/yourusername/.local/ /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/config/.local/
sudo rsync -aAXv --progress /home/yourusername/.ssh/ /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/config/ssh/

Brave profile:​

sudo rsync -aAXv --progress /home/yourusername/.config/BraveSoftware/ /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/config/brave/

5) Export package lists (useful to re-install apps)​

dpkg --get-selections > ~/zbackup/dpkg-selections.txt
apt-mark showmanual > ~/zbackup/manual-packages.txt
mkdir -p /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/system-lists
cp ~/zbackup/dpkg-selections.txt /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/system-lists/
cp ~/zbackup/manual-packages.txt /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/system-lists/

6) Snap / Flatpak lists (if you use them)​

snap list > /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/system-lists/snap-list.txt
flatpak list --app > /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/system-lists/flatpak-list.txt

7) Save apt sources​

sudo cp -a /etc/apt/sources.list* /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/system-lists/

8) (Optional) Save /etc and other custom system files​

sudo rsync -aAXv --progress /etc/ /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/etc-backup/

9) Verify backup contents​

ls -la /mnt/backup/zorin-backup
du -sh /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/home
Notes:

• Replace yourusername with your actual username in the commands.
• These rsync commands create a full file-by-file copy of /home and configs. They’re fast and reliable.
• If you have large media (music, video), consider backing that up separately.

C — Create lists to help reinstall apps later (explain restore approach)
When you restore:

• Use the package lists to reinstall apt packages.
• Recreate snaps and flatpaks from saved lists.
• Restore your home folder via rsync back to /home and set ownership:
  sudo rsync -aAXv --progress /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/home/ /home/
  sudo chown -R yourusername:yourusername /home/yourusername

To reinstall packages (after reinstall):

restore package selections (careful: review file first):​

sudo dpkg --set-selections < ~/zbackup/dpkg-selections.txt
sudo apt-get -u dselect-upgrade

OR reinstall manual packages:​

xargs -a ~/zbackup/manual-packages.txt sudo apt install -y
D — Create and verify Zorin live USB

• Use Rufus (Windows) or BalenaEtcher. If using Rufus, let it add any recommended helpers if it asks — it’s fine.
• Boot the USB, choose “Try Zorin” and verify Wi‑Fi, touchpad, keyboard, suspend/resume, audio, display brightness, and external devices you need.

E — Reinstall Zorin with LUKS (the guided steps you’ll see in installer)
1) Boot live USB → click Install Zorin.
2) When the installer shows “Installation type” choose “Erase disk and install Zorin.”
3) Check “Encrypt the new Zorin installation” (LUKS). You’ll be prompted for an encryption passphrase — choose a strong passphrase and store it safely (password manager + printed copy+ offline USB).
4) Continue install and reboot when done.
F — After first boot of encrypted system — backup LUKS header (very important)
Find your encrypted partition name:
lsblk -f
You will see the encrypted partition (likely /dev/sdaX) with TYPE luks. Run:

replace /dev/sdaX with the device you found, and /mnt/backup with your external​

sudo cryptsetup luksHeaderBackup /dev/sdaX --header-backup-file /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/luks-header-backup.img
Store that header image offline (USB in safe place or offline backup). If your LUKS header corrupts you lose data — header backup can save you.
G — Restore files and packages (post-install)
1) Mount your external backup and rsync home back:
sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/backup # if not already mounted
sudo rsync -aAXv --progress /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/home/ /home/
sudo chown -R yourusername:yourusername /home/yourusername
2) Restore configs (careful with overwriting):
sudo rsync -aAXv --progress /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/config/.config/ /home/yourusername/.config/

fix ownership:​

sudo chown -R yourusername:yourusername /home/yourusername/.config
3) Reinstall packages from saved lists (see above). Review lists before running mass installs.
4) Reinstall snaps:
while read snapname; do sudo snap install "$snapname"; done < /mnt/backup/zorin-backup/system-lists/snap-list.txt
(You’ll need to parse this file — I can give exact commands if you want.)
H — Extra recommended steps

• After install and restore, run updates:
  sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
• Reinstall Timeshift (if you used it) and create a new snapshot.
• Reinstall fwupd, tlp, and any ThinkPad specific packages:
  sudo apt install fwupd tlp tlp-rdw
  sudo systemctl enable --now tlp
  sudo fwupdmgr refresh && sudo fwupdmgr get-updates && sudo fwupdmgr update

I — Final checks

• Verify your files are present and owned by you:
  ls -la /home/yourusername
• Test booting and that you’re prompted for LUKS passphrase at boot.
• Test battery, suspend/resume, Wi‑Fi and devices.

J — Some extra safety items & notes

• Keep at least two copies of backups (external + secondary USB) until you’ve confirmed the new system is good.
• Keep the LUKS header backup offline and do NOT keep it on the same encrypted disk.
• If you want, I can produce a small restore script to simplify the package reinstallation after you paste your saved manual-packages.txt.

K — If you want me to produce exact copy/paste commands tailored to your environment
Tell me:
1) The mount point you’ll use for the external drive (e.g., /mnt/backup).
2) Your username (so I can produce exact chown commands).
3) Whether you prefer ext4 (Linux-only) or exFAT/NTFS (cross-platform) for the external drive.
I’ll generate a single clipboard‑friendly block of commands that you can paste into a terminal (and warn before anything destructive). If you want, I can also create a printable checklist.
Enjoy your nap — when you’re back I’ll prepare the exact commands for your setup (or a script) and then walk you through the installer and the LUKS header backup step.